1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for moving ambulation-impaired individuals, more particularly, to a transfer belt including an adjustable waist belt and a harness strap, which is adapted to be positioned under the gluteals of an individual, thereby increasing the ability of an assistant to support the individual while lifting.
2. Description of related art
In health care settings, moving an individual who is ambulation-impaired, incapable of self-movement or restricted to limited movement due to age, illness, physical disability, and the like, is a difficult and strenuous process for an assistant. Typical situations include moving the individual from a bed to a wheelchair, wheelchair to toilet, etc. Likewise, it is an uncomfortable and disconcerting process for the individual being moved.
Traditionally, a belt comprising a single adjustable strap, which is secured around a patient's waist, has been used to transfer such patients. This type of belt will often become displaced from a patient's waist during the transferrer process, thereby complicating the process and potentially injuring the patient. Another complication of the standard belt is the difficulty a transferrer has in finding a secure hold on the belt in order to accomplish a quick and steady transfer of the patient.
It would be useful, therefore, to have a transfer belt that would ensure correct and proper positioning around a patient's waist throughout the entire transfer process and to have a transfer belt equipped with conveniently located and easily graspable handles.
Examples of devices attempting to remedy some of these aforementioned difficulties can be seen in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,560 issued to Lundelius; U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,098 issued to Jalalian; U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,657 issued to Butterfield; U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,495 issued to Butterfield; U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,324 issued to Butterfield; and U.S. Patent No. 5,397,171 issued to Leach.
Examples of lifting devices including handles to aid in their use can be seen in the Butterfield patents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,657 discloses a harness comprising an adjustable body belt provided with a pair of side handles, to be fitted around an individual's upper body, encircling the torso and arms, and an elongated shoulder strap. The elongated shoulder strap, which is attached to the adjustable body belt, terminates in a large handle.
A moving harness employed by a user for moving or guiding the position of a human wearer is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,495. The moving harness comprises first and second body belts, each body strap having two handles, and a central strap attached to the first and second body straps, which includes a handle at either end. U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,324 teaches a patient lifting harness having an adjustable body belt attached to a shoulder strap provided with a large handle. The belt is fitted around the patient's upper body, encircling the torso and arms.
The patents to Luzenske (U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,418), Jalalian and Lundelius all share general structural aspects of the present invention, but each teaches away from and is not specifically adapted to aid in short distance physical transfer of a patient by supporting only the torso and upper legs, just beneath the glutei maximi. In Lundelius' patent, a restraining device is shown having a waist belt through which a harness strap passes, with a lower portion to be positioned in the crotch area of a wearer and a bifurcated upper portion to be positioned around a wearer's neck. Jalalian's patented device provides an orthotic pelvic belt equipped with a waistband, which can be adjusted by means of a belt buckle in conjunction with a plurality of holes, and a pair of grips on the rear of the waistband. The patent issued to Luzenske discloses a girdle-like safety device, formed by a flexible panel having a T-shaped configuration, to be worn around a user's waist. This configuration, which includes a plurality of handles, presents a pair of opposed arms that are secured about the waist of a user to form a band, and a single connecting element that extends front to rear under the crotch and is joined to the band.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,171 shows an assistance harness which solves several of the complications arising from the use of a standard belt. The apparatus comprises a belt to encircle the waist of a patient, a belt handle means on the rear section of the belt and a shoulder harness means securely attached to the belt. Although these aspects aid in a more comfortable and secure transfer of a patient, the complicated design of the apparatus and extraneous features, that allow the apparatus to be attached to a wheelchair, render the apparatus difficult to use and time consuming to employ.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.